A Destiny of Souls
by Hayla
Summary: A fallen hero searches for himself, finding one who will sacrifice everything to restore what was once lost.


Disclaimer: Although I would like to take credit for this wonderful series... I just don't think it would be right. (plus, I don't think I will ever be able to pay the court fees!!) Ronin Warriors belongs rightfully so to its creators. ^.~ Opening lyrics are once again from, the best band in the world, **U2**'s **_Stuck in a Moment _**from their album **_All That You Can't Leave Behind_**.

Note: Geez... I am in the middle of three other intense stories, piles of school work, and I still need to find time to party... I have no idea where this fic came from or why I was able to write it so quickly! I do have to admit that, although I never really cared for Cye all that much in the beginning, he has recently become simply one of my favorite characters! (next to Sage, of course...) Maybe that explains why I decided to torture him so! ~lol ^.^

FYI: I use the Japanese names and such for this particular story. Shin = Cye ; Shuu = Kento ; Seiji = Sage ; Touma = Rowen ; and Suiko = Torrent. Oh yeah... this story is also proudly yaoi! ~,^

****

A Destiny of Souls

By Hayla

~o~

__

"I was unconscious, half asleep

The water is warm till you discover how deep...

I wasn't jumping... for me it was a fall

It's a long way down to nothing at all..."

~o~

__

"I'm sorry... I just don't feel the same way about you."

Shin tossed his head back, eagerly swallowing the burning liquid in one gulp. He held the shot glass for a moment, licking the vessel for any stray drops before slamming it down to the countertop. He signaled daftly for the bartender, who brought a bottle filled with more of the clear alcohol. The gray eyes glanced down at the patron in front of him, worry present on his face.

"Don't you think that you've had enough, Shin-kun?"

"He pushed the small glass towards the man, a sarcastic smile on his face. "Not nearly enough, Kyle.... not damn nearly enough." 

The dark haired youth nodded his head slowly, filling the small glass to the rim before sliding it in front of his rather distraught friend. He reached over the bar, placing a comforting hand on Shin's shoulder, knowing that there was little he could do to stop this destructive turn. God knows he had tried before. "Don't over do it tonight, okay?" He withdrew quickly, turning to tend other patrons who were loudly yelling for drinks.

Shin watched him go, a soft look in his eyes. He had met Kyle about a month ago at a nightclub downtown. Shin was seduced by his wild raven hair, almost violet in its darkness, soulful gray eyes... tender touches. He was slightly taller than Shin, and an extremely attractive man. Someone anyone would want to get their hands on. And he had wanted Shin. He had even taken on the unfortunate role of watching out for the bearer of Suiko, whose emotional state had been in a state of constant flux as of late. He was a nice kid, though... fresh out of school and eager to search for his place in the world... like everyone seemed to be doing these days...

_"I'm leaving to go back home for a few months. Nothin' personal. I just need some space... time to find myself again, you know how it is..."_

Sure... he knew how it was. He balanced the shot on his lips, knowing that he had already drank too much and was in danger of losing control. It wouldn't be the first time... he tried to recall when it was he had really started drinking like this -- when he had started going out late at nights, not returning till early mornings... some times not at all. It struck him almost funny that he couldn't remember. But, then again, didn't he come here to forget? He threw his head back again, almost compulsively. This time he didn't even taste the alcohol as it slid past his mouth, down his throat... he was only aware of a sudden need to get up and move around, to shake off his trembles. 

He slid off the bar stool, looking covertly through brown tresses in Kyle's direction. He was half-heartedly tolerating a group of girls who were batting their doe eyes playfully, and giggling loudly with fake gestures full of teenage angst. Shin couldn't help but taste the irony... _if only they really knew._

Around him the music pumped dangerously wild, lights pulsating along with the chaotic rhythms and trancic melodies. He pushed his way through the crowd, moving closer to the front speakers, wanting to fully drown out the voices in his head that fought with him on an hourly basis. _Voices... never-ending voices... always there.. leave me alone... _He could feel Ryo and Touma's accusing glare upon him.. all thinking the same thing.. He could hear Seiji's worried voice, scolding him... 

_"What do you think you're doing? This isn't like you at all!"_

He shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. Bodies gyrated around him, pushing against him intimately... touching, whispering. He didn't try to make sense of it all. He just wanted to drown out the world, to let it all go. He closed his eyes, moving in time with the hypnotic beat of the music, letting himself be swept away by the torrent of sexual tension that surged around him... to drown in the sea of pulsing rhythms and pressing bodies. 

He felt hands upon his hips, pulling him close to a body behind him. He didn't open his eyes... didn't even care who it was, as long as he could escape for a mere moment. He leaned back, matching his new found partner's dance with equal intensity. This wasn't like him... wasn't at all like the person his friends had thought him to be. _Since when the hell do I care what they think anymore.._

The music pounded on. Lights flickered in the darkness of his eyelids, and a wave of dizziness swept over him_. _People continued to dance around him, lost in the emotions of touch and sound, making his sudden spell of vertigo intensify. His head fell back against the broad chest behind him, all of a sudden becoming too heavy to be support by his neck. He could feel the hands slide up his stomach, his head throbbing with sudden pain, and then nothing... He could feel nothing after that. _No music... no people... black darkness... an endless void..._

~o~

"Yeah... he's here..." Shin stirred, opening his eyes slowly, only to instantly grab the pillow underneath him to bury his face and drown out the harsh light that burned a little too brightly. His head was killing him. Mornings were always the worst after nights like... _a night like... _

"Shit..." he cursed softly into the linen. _I can't even remember. _He could hear the murmurs of Kyle's voice in the next room... the voice that had awakened him. Even through the down of the pillow, he could pick up the half conversation.

"All right... yeah... I'll tell him, but... okay. Sure... bye." The phone clicked off and it was returned to its stand. Shin listened carefully, hearing soft footsteps pad into the bedroom.

"Who was that?" He asked matter of factly, already knowing the answer, but needing to confirm it anyway.

"No one," came the reply as the weight at the edge of the bed shifted to accompany another body.

"Liar," he said softly, pushing the pillow off of his face and propelling it to the sound of the voice.

It hit Kyle, who laughed lightly and placed the thrown pillow on his lap, gesturing for him to come over. "Quite a night last night."

Shin sighed, wriggling out of the sheets to crawl across to where Kyle was sitting. He promptly laid his head down on the pillow, his face leaning against the dark haired youth's stomach. He brought his arms around Kyle's body, embracing the warmth that was offered him. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I know, I know... baka." He leaned down to cradle and hold close the emerald-eyed warrior, almost as if he were a child. "You know you are going to have to talk about it sometime."

Shin tensed. He knew Kyle's words were implying more than just about the events of last night. He hadn't told him what he was trying to escape, or why he needed certain things to help him forget. He knew that the raven-haired wonder had talked to Ryo on the phone, like he had many times, to let the others know that he was still alive and safe for yet another day. Kyle always asked him why he wouldn't just tell them where he was himself, or what he was up to. But, it was just something that Shin didn't want to face... not now, and maybe not ever. 

"Why do you care so much?" he asked quietly, hands clutching the taller boy's shirt. There was no audible answer, instead he felt light kisses upon his auburn tresses. He leaned up, feeling soft lips across his forehead, down to his cheek... to his mouth. The kiss was light and delicate, but needing only a single push to make it so much more. Shin moved his hand to the back of the other's head, grabbing lightly the dark silken locks, pulling him deeper into his mouth. Kyle loved the taste of his temperamental lover -- like a salty mist from a winter's ocean. Cold at times, but refreshing and new. Tongues darted out and danced between them, like a power struggle neither force was really too eager to win. Shin let out a soft moan, desperate to be enveloped in the warm heat they shared. Seeming minutes passed before Kyle broke away slowly, lingering kisses as he moved.

"Not yet," he whispered mischievously into the other's ear. "I don't know about you, but I'm hungry." In a matter of seconds, the moment was broken. Shin found himself suddenly alone on the bed again, pillow thumped playfully over his face. "Come on... I'll make us some breakfast."

~o~

"Just what the hell does he think he's doing!" Touma's words rang harshly in Ryo's ears as he headed for the living room, the archer quick on his heels.

"I don't know anymore." He flopped down on the couch, throwing the cordless phone to the side and picking up the remote control. "I just don't know." He turned on the TV, flipping through the various channels till he found the soccer match he had no real intention of watching, but needed as a distraction.

The blue haired warrior was quick to step in front of his leader's line of vision, strategically putting himself between Ryo and the television. "Well, we sure as hell can't let him stray off like this night after night and let him think it's okay!" 

"We're not his parents," he stated back bluntly, craning his head beyond the archer's thin form.

Touma quickly twisted around, shutting off the soccer game, almost yelling when he turned back to confront Ryo again. His thoughtful, serene nature was breaking away reveling a very distraught and angry persona. "Well, they're not here, and as of right now, we're his only family!"

Ryo tried to maneuver his arm back and forth around his friend's body, repeatedly pressing the power button on the controller to no avail. He sighed, giving up as he tossed the remote next to the discarded phone. "Touma-chan... I will remind you that Shin _is _older than us, and he has the right to do whatever he pleases. We can do little to stop him now." 

"Like _hell _we can't!" He knew that Ryo was just as concerned over Shin's recent behavior as he was, but this seeming lack of compassion on the fiery warrior's part was annoying him. His brain searched desperately for answers that just weren't there. Shin was in self-destruct mode, and was bound for a final detonation that none of them seemed able to stop. He plopped down in front of the couch, emotionally spent and tired of thinking about what he could do to help. He massaged his temples, as if that were a way to release his pent up stress and frustration.

"If only he was here..."

Touma's head shot up. He looked to Ryo, who sat miserably in front of him, eyes downcast and sullen. The archer couldn't help but remind him. "But he's the one that started all this."

"Yeah, yeah... I know." He tossed back his black hair and set his gaze out the window to the side. "But I can't help but think that maybe... just maybe if he comes back, then Shin will get better, you know?"

The thought hung heavily in the air, leaving them both with more questions then answers. The mood became increasingly sober and Touma couldn't help but let his anger dissipate bit by bit into the air. He wasn't sure who he wanted to blame. It wasn't Ryo... for out of all of them, he perhaps worried the most. And it wasn't entirely Shin, though he couldn't help but put some fault on the water warrior, whose reclusive behavior had at first been extremely suspicious. Then, after the first time he had stumbled through the door at four in the morning with the smell of alcohol on his breath, it became entirely disturbing, and was like a wake up call to those around him. Ever since then it had been a downward spiral, and no matter what they planned, no matter how many times they had tried to talk to Shin, they would always end up fighting... or worse. He couldn't even remember the last time their errant friend had spent a full day at the house. Nothing was working, and Touma really feared for his friend's safety. He was only thankful in part that Kyle was responsible enough to call for the wayward trooper, and take care of him during those nights when who knew what Shin was up to. It was only partial relief that someone was watching out for Shin, and it hurt painfully that it was none of those who were supposed to be the closest to him.

Ryo returned his gaze to his friend who set hopelessly contemplating in front of him. He nodded in silent agreement, knowing exactly what the archer was thinking. _It hurt like hell. _

~o~

_"I'm sorry... I just don't feel the same way about you."_

"Wha... what?"

"Look man... I mean... I'm just not ready for... for this_. It was fun an' all, but..." _There was a hand on his shoulder that squeezed in a way that was meant to be comforting, but which failed miserably. _"It's just not going to happen. I never felt right with it, so it's better to stop now, right?"_

"Never...never felt right..." the words fought softly to be repeated on his unbelieving lips. Never... never... fun...

_"I'm leaving to go back home for a few months. Nothin' personal. I just need some space... time to find myself again, you know how it is..."_

_"Nothing personal... you bastard..."_

"Look, Shin... I just can't--"

"Get away from me!"

"Shit... don't go blowing this all out of proportion and all. It's better this way, can't you see that! It would never work."

"_I said get the hell away from me!!"_

_There was a slamming of doors... and then the tears came. Heavy and laden with pain. Pain which still lingered... he whimpered quietly... alone..._

Shin stirred in bed, awakening slowly from the nightmarish memory that had been haunting him for months now. He peered blearily in the direction of the window, noting that the sun had only just begun to set. Since Kyle worked nights, and he was bound to join him at the club, they usually slept together during the day. That is, whenever he was over at Kyle's apartment, which had been becoming a more and more frequent event as of late. He had no real desire to return home anytime soon. At least here he was actually getting _some_ rest -- away from the constant prodding and bickering between his friends. He had probably only been sleeping a couple of hours before the dreams returned. There was a mumbling next to him.

"You okay," Kyle asked sleepily, not really up, but awakened somewhat by his lover's movements.

"Yes, love. Go back to sleep." The taller man put an arm around Shin's thin waist, pulling their naked bodies close together before he fell back to sleep. 

Shin sighed, eyes focused on the ceiling, recalling bitterly the last few moments he had spent with Shuu. Their relationship had taken on the form of something more than that of just friendship after the battle to save earth was finally over... something that went far deeper. At least, that's what Shin thought. They had shared moments together. What he once considered precious moments filled with kisses... embraces... But how he had mistaken it for love was beyond his comprehension. _How could I possibly love someone who thought nothing of what we shared... even when it was occasionally the bed._

Shin was increasingly baffled by his relationship with the earthy warrior. He had given it his all... had worn his soul on his sleeve only to get it shoved back in his mouth when he spoke those precious few words out loud. _How could I have told him that I loved him... how could I have been so wrong._

The wound was still raw and extremely painful. His heart had been ripped from his very chest, and he wasn't sure he would every be able to repair the damage that one person had caused. Yeah... perhaps he _was _blowing things out of proportion. _Love isn't supposed to hurt this much. It's not supposed to..._

Shin turned to his side, facing away from the warm body of his companion. He let the tears stream down his face unchecked, spreading into the soft linen beneath his head. He thought bitterly of what he was turning into. Going out at nights to lose himself to others... to drink so much that he was unable to remember anything... and it was all _his _fault. All Shuu's for not caring -- for becoming cold and... and cruel. Or maybe it was really all his own fault, for driving devotion too far... for daring to believe in someone as much as he did. It didn't matter_... _he would wallow in the pity for awhile. At least it was the one emotion that he still had left to fill the empty and scarred void. He let himself cry... let himself cry into a fitful sleep filled with painful memories and bitter disappointment. It was all he had left.

Behind him, Kyle kept a careful eye on the weeping form in front of him. Contrary to what Shin may have believed, he had not fallen asleep. In fact he had been up for awhile, watching over him as he tossed in dream with anger. And he even watched him now, feeling the small, thin frame under his arm shudder with tears and coughs before coming to an uneven rhythm of breaths that let Kyle know he was finally asleep again. It hadn't been the first time he had watched over Shin... and he was almost positive that it wouldn't be the last.

He didn't know much of what was making his emerald-eyed lover so miserable, and he had even tried to get details out of his friends. They were sketchy at best. He never had a chance to really sit down and talk about it with any of them. Perhaps that would have to change. For he loved Shin more than he had loved anyone else in his entire life, and it was hurtful, in a way, to know that the feeling was not mutual. _Things have to change..._

He got up, slowly untangling his limbs from the other's sleeping form. He quickly pulled on the worn jeans and faded shirt that had been thrown hastily to the floor only hours ago. He had to talk to them... to Ryo... and Seiji... and Touma. Explanations needed to be given. This pain that was hidden within Shin was eating him alive. Kyle knew he needed to help him, and quickly, before there was nothing left to save.

~o~

"You're late again."

Kyle peered out from the locker room, noting the face of his boss waiting impatiently at the door. He quickly pulled on the tight black shirt and bent his head down in apology. "I'm sorry, sir. I had some personal business that I needed to take care of."

"Personal business, huh? Doesn't have anything to do with that slut friend of yours does it?" The heavy set man's words were rather harsh, and Kyle fought the urge to deck him for it.

"Shut up about him... he's been through some shit. I've been trying to help him is all."

"I bet you are." He gave his employee a once over, scrutinizing him before turning to leave. "Sakuya's been covering your ass, so you're lucky this time. But if I find that boyfriend of yours in another state of alcoholic induced unconsciousness in this club, I'm holding you responsible. Got it?"

Before Kyle could even answer, the hefty man was gone. Kyle shook his head. He was used to his employer's callous words and tried not to take them too hard. He pushed his way through the heavy metal doors marked 'employees only' from the outside, entering the throbbing atmosphere of the nightclub. He made his way to the bar, nodding his thanks to Sakuya who smiled knowingly back -- jerking his head sideways to the far corner.

"He's been waiting for you."

Again, Kyle nodded his thanks, picking up a plastic bottle of clear liquid from under the counter top as he headed towards the end of the bar. Shin looked up at his arrival, eyes watery and distant. "You were gone again when I woke up."

"I had some errands I needed to run for work."

"Liar."

It was true... he never was good at lying, especially not to Shin of all people. But he couldn't tell him what he had really been up to -- how he had been conspiring behind his back with the others. Even if it was for Shin's own good, it felt wrong to sneak out during the day, and lie openly to his face. He didn't like it, but kept on thinking of it as a necessary evil he was now fully a part of.

Shin reached for the dark bottle that was on the counter in front of him, missing terribly, and sending it flying over the bar, crashing to the floor. Kyle jumped back from the shattering glass in surprise. "Jesus, Shin, are you smashed already? It's not even midnight!"

"Fuck you," he blurted out angrily. "Who is he anyway?!"

Kyle stood in pure shock for a moment, taken back by the frightful tone in which Shin was accusing him. "What are you talking about?" He asked almost out of anger, hurt by mistrust.

"I'm not blind, Kyle. You leave me during the day... show up late for work. I know you're not on any goddamn errands or anything of the sorts." His eyes shot dangerously cold from underneath his brown locks that were somewhat mussed in front of his face. 

"You make a lousy drunk," he stated flatly, tossing the plastic water bottle he had had in his hand towards his unruly friend. "Sober up some.. then we'll talk."

"No... we'll talk now!" He stood suddenly from his stool, causing it to fall over with his shaky exit. He held the water bottle in one hand, shaking it as if he were going to throw it at Kyle.

"Shin, please... settle down will you?" He glanced nervously around at the other patrons who were either staring in unabashed curiosity, or cowering to the other end of the bar.

"Like hell I will!" Thoughts ran ramped through Shin's mind. He couldn't think clearly. All he knew was that Kyle was hurting him, in the worst possible of ways. His voice broke with uncontrollable emotion that was coming forth with far more intensity than he had anticipated. "Just tell me who the hell he is!"

"Me," came the sudden and almost unbelievable response. "He's been seeing me."

Shin heard the voice from behind him. Suddenly feeling weak, he dropped the bottle of water. It bounced a few times on the counter before rolling off the end, falling in much the same way the beer bottle had moments ago. He grouped blindly for the chair next to him, steadying himself before sitting his shaking form down.

The owner of the voice picked up the fallen barstool and sat next to Shin, whose eyes were staring straight ahead -- at Kyle, through Kyle. He couldn't believe what was happening -- what he was allowing to happen. _After all we've been through..._

Kyle nodded at the man before turning around. He walked slowly to the other side of the bar, whispering something into Sakuya's ear which caused the fellow bartender to glance in Shin's direction. He nodded almost sympathetically and allowed Kyle to leave. Shin watched in detached wonder and rage as the raven-haired man disappeared among the crowd, and passed beyond the metal door.

"What do you want," Shin said bitterly, breaking the uncomfortable silence that was riding between them.

There was a long sigh before he answered. "We need to talk."

"Kind of late for that, Shuu, don't you think?" He couldn't do this in his present condition. He reached for a glass of tonic sitting next to him, the past few minutes making him alarmingly sober. He had ordered it before the few beers, but hadn't drank it yet. _Now's a good a time as any..._

"Come on, man. Don't be like this."

Shin laughed despite himself. For some reason, the conversation was having an odd ring of familiarity to it. "Been there... done that." He sipped the concoction delicately, almost afraid the loss of one single drop might lead him to sobriety.

"Look what you're doing to yourself," Shuu whispered mournfully. He never thought that it would come to this. Although he may not of really looked the part, he had always believed that Shin was stronger then the rest of them. Maybe not in brute strength... but definitely in spirit. It tore him apart to see the bearer of Suiko so broken. 

"_I_ didn't do this to myself," he took another quick gulp of the burning liquid before staring an accusatory, blood shot eye to his unwelcomed companion. "_You _did."

"I --" He was cut off short, fumbling for words, not knowing what to say. He had heard vaguely from the others how Shin's attitude was deteriorating, and how... wild he was becoming. But it wasn't until Kyle tracked him down that he really took the news seriously. Even now, with his one time lover perched so destructively close to the edge, he found it hard to believe that all he had heard was true. He felt salty tears begin to blur his vision. "Oh, god Shin... I'm so sorry... I'm so_--_"

"Save it." Shin's words were sharp and painful. He didn't want to go on hearing the blubbering apology of a person who he had convinced himself had no compassionate feelings within him.

Shuu wouldn't be shaken so easily. "Let's go home." 

"No."

"Come on... I mean it. I'm sorry, and I want to talk things out." He was greeted with silence. The indignant resolve on Shin's face his only answer.

He gave an exasperated look around, falling into one more desperate plea. "Could we at least go someplace a little more quiet. I can't hear my own damn thoughts in this place."

It was then that Shin realized how noisy the club had really gotten. The DJ was pumping out hard music that blared heavily through the speakers. It was amazing how well Shin had learned to tune the chaos out when he wanted to. Bringing his mind back into focus, he found that somewhere deep inside himself, he did want to talk to Shuu... wanted to see if they could get some of the anger out between them. But the dominant part of his tattered soul warned him against such actions, reminding him all too bitterly of past hurt. He took another sip of his drink, trying his best to ignore his companion completely.

"Dammit Shin!" The glass was ripped violently from his hands. He watched in some disbelief as Shuu proceeded to swallow the rest of the liquor in one shot, slamming the empty glass down on the bar top. His voice became more desperate, and he stood off the chair, grabbing Shin's arm roughly. "I never could find the words," He blurted out distraughtly. "I never thought that I had them in me. Not the way they were in you. It always felt so absurd... this constant wrestling of feelings within me till I realized something." 

He moved closer, his voice becoming softer as he searched for the words he had been fighting to get out since the very beginning. "I realized that I was really always on the outside... always there, never able to see what was in me. It was something that I was so afraid to let out in the open, because I feared letting myself get hurt. All this time I thought that I was protecting you! Hell... I damn near convinced myself that I was doing it all so you would never be disappointed in me and leave. But you never had to worry about that, because you had already accepted me for who I was. You bared all of who you were to me, and I slapped you in the face with it." 

He took in a deep breath, chin falling heavily against his chest as his eyes looked towards the ground. Now that the barrier had been broken within him, it was like a floodgate had been opened. He no longer needed to hold back anything at all, and he could feel the wetness fall from his eyes. "I never was worthy of you, this more than proves it. I never wanted to hurt you. I only thought that if I could not make you happy, then I would let you go. What I never really understood was... was that I should have let you known how much I cared. To let you know that I... I really loved you, too. I was just always on the outside, selfish and unseeing, never looking to see what was waiting inside... I never thought it would come to this. I just_-- _" 

"Shh..." Shin brought his fingertips to rest upon Shuu's trembling lips, letting them fall softly to cup his face in his thin hand, drawing his gaze upward. He stared into those dark cerulean pools and felt all hate dissipate. Out of all the ways he had rehearsed this encounter in his head, envisioning all the vile and hateful things he would say in response to Shuu's rejection of him -- nothing had prepared him for this out pouring of emotion that caught Shin so completely off guard.

"Alright," he whispered lightly, barely audible over the music that continued to pulsate around them. His eyes shimmered with unwept tears, and he tenderly brushed the fallen moisture from Shuu's own face. "Alright. Let's go home... and talk."

From a cracked door a short distance away from the bar, soulful gray eyes watched in painful acceptance as Shin was escorted tenderly away from the hot, dizzying lights and ear splitting music, out into the cool comfort of the night. Kyle shut the metal door, heading towards the locker room where he changed into his normal clothes. Without a second thought about his job or what his boss might say, he left silently out of the employees' exit. It hurt... it hurt badly, and he bit back tears that were threatening to spill every step he took back to their... back to his apartment.

He would have to get used to living alone again. He tried not to feel too badly. After all, he had been the one who had met the three friends at their mansion. He listened to their tale of Shin's broken heart, and ultimately, he was the one who went out in search of the estranged lover. And he did this all out of love. Love for one single person that had brought him so much happiness, but was unable to receive such a simple gift in return.

Things change... sometimes by misunderstandings, sometimes through ones own volitions. He couldn't help but think that what he had done was right. He would always love Shin, and treasure deeply the moments that they shared together. But Shin's happiness was not with him in his bed, or at the club, and most definitely not in the bottom of a bottle. It was hidden somewhere in his broken heart, waiting for that one person to come back to mend the wrongs, and free his spirit again. His only regret was that it wasn't him who would heal those wounds. But... it was meant to be like this. It couldn't end any other way...

~o~

It had been three whole days of solitude. No one dared to disturb the room that was now shared by Shin and Shuu. All they heard was an endless talking. It would start early in the morning and continue until late at night. It was something they needed to do... talk. Let all pretenses go and just be in one another's company. That's how the healing would take place... the only way after so much hurt there had been... on both parts, really.

"How long do you think Shuu can go with out eating?" Touma asked dumbly as he passed their door, continuing down the hallway.

He received a quick slap on the head by Seiji in response as they headed down the stairs together. "Don't pester them," he scolded softly. "They need this."

Touma couldn't agree more. There was a new mood in the house. In three days all their worlds had been returned right side up, and for the first time in four long months, there was peace. Undeniable peace -- free from the worries and tensions that had plagued them all.

There was a knock on the door, and Seiji diverted his walk away from the archer to answer -- Touma carefully sneaking his way into the kitchen for a midday snack... breakfast for him, really. The blond opened the door and almost instantly felt all his hope for that bright future disappear.

Kyle stood awkwardly in the doorway, holding a box filled with what appeared to be clothes and other miscellaneous things. "Hi... um... just wanted to drop.. uh... this stuff belongs to Shin." He quickly shoved the half filled box into Seiji's unexpected arms and turned on his heels, heading quickly for his car. He felt so nervous coming back here, knowing that _they _were both here... together. He had almost reached his destination when an all too familiar voice called out from the front porch.

"Wait! Kyle, don't go!" Shin quickly ran towards him, eyes bright and, for the first time his one time companion could say, alive. He stopped a few steps in front of him, breath ragged from flying down a flight of stairs in the desperate attempt to catch Kyle before he left. 

There was a silent moment between them as Shin tried to regain his breath, knowing all too well the hand the other had had in Shuu's sudden appearance at the club those few nights ago. Kyle glanced behind him, seeing Shuu in the doorway of the house, watching the scene with new found compassion. He adverted his attention back to the one in front of him. 

"So did you guys work things out?" He asked quietly. This was more painful then he had anticipated and he wasn't really sure how long he would be able to hold out. He had built up a resolve that this was the better path -- for all of them. But it had really taken three days to bring himself up to that point, and now he was wavering uncontrollably.

Shin nodded his head slowly, then quickly closed the distance between them, throwing his arms around Kyle's neck. "Why? Why did you do it? Why do you care so much?"

He wrapped his arms tightly around the smaller one's form, bringing the scent closer to him so that he would never forget. This time, he had an answer to Shin's question. "Because," he whispered into the soft auburn tresses that smelled so sweetly to him. "I realized that I was powerless to change your world -- to stop the hurt that you showed all too clearly, even when you tried to hide it. I was trying so hard to be your tower of strength and to bring you back to happiness, but I couldn't. I couldn't because, despite it all, I never had your heart." He drew back slightly, his eyes coming level with Shin's, arms still holding in a friendly embrace. "But you will always have mine."

Shin could do nothing else but nod, his eyes filled with tears, being so touched by another's sacrifice. "I do love you Kyle."

"I know." They did have love between them... but not the kind of soul mates. Not like the kind the two in front of him shared. He let go and turned back to his car, opening the door, preparing to leave. By this time Shuu was by Shin's side. He reached out and grabbed Kyle's shoulder, turning him back around slightly.

"I can never thank you enough," he managed humbly. "You've changed us both, you know. I owe you in a way I'll never be able to repay."

Kyle smiled slightly as he stepped into his car, speaking out the open window as he closed the door. "Just don't do it again, or I'll kick your ass." 

Friendly smirks were passed around, and they watched the car pull out of the driveway, heading around a bend, then disappearing from their view. Arm in arm, Shin and Shuu returned to the house, knowing that their lives had reached a new point together -- and an unbreakable bond had now been forged. 

"You hungry?" Shin asked as he opened the door to the house, suddenly feeling remarkable like his old self again.

Shuu pulled back on his arm, encircling Shin into his muscular arms, drawing their bodies as close as he possible could. "Always," he whispered lowly as he brought his mouth to Shin's own tender lips. The sweet kiss was the final seal to a promise Shuu had made. He would never let them fall apart again. Not for the world... not for his very life. And no matter what it would take, he would heal all the wounds he had made with grateful kisses. He had truly been given a second chance, his only hope being that he could stay like this forever, holding the one he could truly care for so completely. He broke away slowly, burying his head against the warm neck of his love. "I'm not ever going to let you go again. Never again..." 

~A New Beginning...

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